Payne spends nearly $300k so far on re-election bid

Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-Newark) continues to burn through huge amounts of campaign cash as he prepares to face two challengers in the July 7 Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 10th district.

Payne raised $49,903 in the first quarter of 2020 and has brought in $325,451 since January 2019, but the five-term Democratic congressman has spent $297,564 so far and has $83,096 remaining in his campaign warchest.

That doesn’t mean Payne will have a problem winning renomination.  He has the organization lines in Essex, Hudson and Union counties, and one of his primary opponents, John Flora, raised just $1,607 so far this year, with $7,102 in the bank.

Payne paid his cousin, Eric, $10,116 for fundraising services.  He continues to make sizeable contribution to charities in his district – sort of an old school way of holding a safe seat.

The 10th is one of the most Democratic districts in the nation.  Hillary Clinton won it by 72 points in 2016 – only ten other congressional districts gave her a higher percentage.

Another Payne primary opponent, Rutgers law professor Eugene Mazo, has not yet filed his first quarter report with the Federal Election Commission.